A Golden Chain, Chapter 45 – Chapter 47
CHAP. 45. Of the calling vponupon God.
THus much concerning the deniall of our selues, now followeth the profession of Christ. In which we consider either Christ himselfe, or his mē b…rs: namely, the faithfull. Math. 25.40. Verely, I say vntounto you, in as much as ye did it to one of the least of my brethren, ye did it vntounto me.
That profession which directly concerneth Christ, is either continuall, or onelyonly in the time of danger.
Continuall, is the calling vponupon the Name of God, and ought euer to be performed of vsus, in the Name of Christ Iesus our Mediatour. 1. Cor. 1.2. To the Church of God which is at Corinthus, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, in eueryevery place, both their Lord and ours. Act. 9. 14. He hath authoritie from the high Priest, to binde all that call vponupon thy Name. Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or in deede, doe it in the Name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thankes to God, and the Father by him.
The calling vponupon Gods name, is by praier or thanksgiuing. Phil. 4. 6. In all things let your requests be shewed vntounto God, in praier and supplication, with giuing of thankes.
Prayer hath two parts: Petition, and Assent, Mark. 11.24. I say vntounto you, whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray, beleeue that ye shall hauehave it, and it shall be done vntounto you.
Petition, is the first part of prayer, whereby we, according to the rule of Gods word, aske his helpe, for the obtaining of such necessaries as we want. 1. Ioh. 5.14. This is the assurance that we hauehave in him, that if we aske any thing according to his will, he heareth vsus.
In eueryevery petition, we must expresse two things: I. A sense of our wants. II. A desire of the grace of God to supplie those wants. 1. Sam. 1. 10. Shee was troubled in her minde, and praied vntounto the Lord, and wept sore. Dan. 9. 4. And I praied to the Lord my God, and made my confession, saying, 5. We hauehave sinned and hauehave committed iniquitie, &c. 16. O Lord, according to thy righteousnes, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy wrath be turned from thy citie Ierusalem, &c. to the 20. verse. Psal. 130.1. Out of the deepe I called to thee, O Lord. 1. Sam. 1.15. Then Hannah answered and said, Nay my lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit: I hauehave drunken neither wine, nor strong drinke, but hauehave powred out my soule before the Lord, &c. to the 16. verse. psal. 143. 6. I stretch forth mine hands vntounto thee, my soule desireth after thee, as the thirstie land.
Assent, is the second part of prayer, whereby we beleeue, and professe it before God, that he, in his due time, will grant vntounto vsus those our requests, which before we hauehave made vntounto his maiestie. 1. Ioh. 5. 14, 15. This is the assurance that we hauehave in him, that if we aske any thing according to his will, he heareth vsus. And if we know that he heareth vsus, whatsoeuer we aske, we k…w that we hauehave the petitions that we hauehave desired of him. Math. 6.13. Lead vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill. For thine is the kingdome, thine is the power, and thine is the glorie, for euer and euer, Amen.
As for the faithfull, howsoeuer they in their praiers, bewray many infirmities: yet no doubt they hauehave a notable sense of Gods …auour, especially, when they pray zealously, and often vntounto the Lord. Iam. 5. 16. Pray one for another, that ye may be healed: for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent. Luk. 1.13. The Angel said vntounto him, Feare not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard. Ionah. 4.1. It displeased Ionah exceedingly, and he wa… angrie. 2. And Ionah praied vntounto the Lord, and saide, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my countrey? therefore I preuented it to flee vntounto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gratious God, and mercifull, slow to anger, and of great kindnes, and repentest thee of the euill. Rom. 8.26. Gen. 19.18. Lot saide vntounto them, Doe not so, I pray you, my lords, &c. psal. 6.1. O lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chastise me in thy wrath, &c. v. 2,3,4,5. psal. 8.9. psal. 20.5. psal. 35.9.18.28. psal. 16.7.
Thanksgiuing, is a calling vponupon Gods name, whereby we, with ioy and gladnes of heart, doe praise God for his benefits either receiued, or promised, psal. 45.1. Mine heart will vtter forth a good matter, I will intreat in my words of the King: my tongue is as the pen of a swift writer. Eph. 5.20. Giuing thanks alwaies for all things vntounto God, euen the father, in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. psal. 36.8,9. How excellent is thy merciemercy, O God? therefore the children of men trust vnderunder the shadow of thy wings. They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house, and thou shalt giuegive them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures. Coloss. 3.16.
CHAP. 46. Of Christian Apologie, and Martyrdome.
THe profession of Christ in dangers, is either in word, or deede.
Profession in word, is Christian Apologie, or the confession of Christ. Rom. 10. 10. With the heart, man beleeueth vntounto righteousnes: and with the mouth, man confesseth to saluation. psal. 22.23. I will declare thy name vntounto my brethren: in the middes of the congregation will I praise thee.
Christian Apologie, is the profession of Christ in word, when as we are readie with feare and meeknes, to confesse the truth of Christian religion, so often as neede requireth, and the glorie of God is endangered, euen before vnbeleeuers, especially, if they be not past all hope of repentance. 1. Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts: and be readie alwaies to giuegive an answer to eueryevery man t…t asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you: 16. And that with meeknesse and reuerence, hauing a good conscience, that when they speake euill of you as of euill doers, they may be ashamed, which blame your good conuersation in Christ. Act. 7. the whole chap. Steuen there maketh an Apologie for himselfe. Math. 7.6. GiueGive not that which is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearles before swine, least they tread them vnderunder their feete, and turning againe, all to rent you.
Profession, which is in deede, is called Martyrdome. Martyrdome is a part of Christian profession, when as a Christian man doth, for the doctrine of faith, for iustice, and for the saluation of his brethren, vndergoe the punishment of death imposed vpō him by the aduersaries of Christ Iesus. Mar. 6.18, 27,28. Iohn tolde Herod, It is not lawfull for thee to hauehave thy brothers wife. And immediately the King sent the hangman, and gaue him charge that his head should be brought: so he went and beheaded him in the prison. 2. Cor. 12. 15. I will most gladly bestow, and be bestowed for your soules, though the more I louelove you, the lesse am I loued.
Notwithstanding, it is lawfull for Christians to flie in persecution, if they finde themselues not sufficiently resolued and strengthened by Gods spirit to stand. Math. 10.23. When they persecute you in one citie, flee into another. Verely I say vntounto you, ye shall not hauehave finished all the cities of Israel, till the Sonne of man come. Ioh. 10.39. Againe they studied to apprehend him, but he escaped out of their hands. Act. 9.30. When the brethren knew it, they brought him to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 1. King. 18.23. Was it not told my lord what I did, when Iesabel slue the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets, by fifties in a caue, and fedde them with bread and water? Act. 20.22. Now behold, I goe bound in the spirit vntounto Ierusalem, and know not what things shall come vntounto me there.
CHAP. 47. Of Edification, and Almes among the faithfull.
THat profession of Christ, which concerneth his members, namely, the Saints and faithfull ones, is either Edification, or Almes.
Edification, is eueryevery particular dutie towards our brethren, whereby they are furthered either to grow vp in Christ, or else are more surely vnited to him. Rom. 14. 19. Let vsus follow those things which concerne peace, and wherewith one may edifie another.
To Edification, these things which follow appertaine.
I. To giuegive good example. Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen. 1. Pet. 2.12. HaueHave your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speak euill of you as of euill doers, may by your good works which they shall see, glorifie God in the day of thy visitation.
II. To exhort. Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne. Rom. 1.12. That I might be comforted togither with you through our mutuall faith, both yours & mine.
III. To comfort. 1. Thess. 5.14. Comfort the feeble minded, beare with the weake: be patient towards all men. Iam. 5. 16. Acknowledge your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. 20. He that conuerteth a sinner from going astray out of his way, shall saue a soule from death, and shall hide a multitude of sinnes. 1. Thess. 4. 18. Comfort your selues one another, with these words.
IV. To admonish. Rom. 15. 14. I my selfe am perswaded of you, brethren, that yee also are full of goodnes, and filled with all knowledge: and are able to admonish one another. 1. Thess. 5. 14. We desire you, brethren, admonish them that are vnruly.
They shall obserue an holy manner of admonition, who in the spirit of meeknes, and as it were, guiltie of the like infirmitie themselues, doe admonish forthwith all their brethren of such faults, as they certenly know by them, and that out of Gods word. Gal. 6.1. Brethren, if any man by occasion be fallen into any fault, yee, which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meeknes, considering thy selfe, least thou also be tempted. Matth. 5. 7. Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beame out… of thine owne eye, and then shalt thou see to take the mote out of thy brothers eye. 2. Tim. 4.2. Preach the word: be instant in season and out of season: improoue, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine. Math. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee, goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone: if he heare thee, thou hast wonne thy brother. Rom. 15.14.2. Tim. 4.2. Leuit. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart, but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour, and suffer him not to sinne.
Reliefe peculiar to the godly among themselues, is a dutie, whereby the rich doe out of their plentie supplie the wants of the poore, both according to their abilitie, and sometimes beyond their abilitie. 2. Cor. 8.3. To their power (I beare record) yea, beyond their power they were willing. Act. 2.44,45. All that beleeued were in one place, and had all things common: and they solde their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as eueryevery one had neede.